Tony Jackson Scholarship Applications Now Open

TONY JACKSON SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

The annual Tony Jackson Scholarship offers a deserving athlete an IRONMAN New Zealand event package (including entry), to enable them to participant in IRONMAN New Zealand.

Applications open 1 April 2018 and close 1 June 2018.

The scholarship is set up to support athletes that without this support may not be able to participate in the IRONMAN New Zealand event.

The scholarship was created in memory of Tony Jackson, an IRONMAN New Zealand 28 time finisher and Hall of Fame member. Acknowledging his outstanding contribution to IRONMAN and to continue his passion to encourage, help, inspire and motivate athletes to achieve their IRONMAN goals irrespective of their athletic ability, personal challenges, background, age or gender.

We caught up with one of our 2017 scholars, Jason Young, to get his thoughts on the experience.

The Tony Jackson Scholarship was a godsend…not only in terms of financial assistance, but the exposure to legends in the sport, such as Verna herself, swim coach Andrew Mackay.

Out of all the disciplines I really felt a vast improvement from last year, sure the conditions were ideal but I’ve never gone under 1:30hrs for a 3.8km swim before and to do it on event day, well it just gets the whole day started on a positive note.

Ben Marshall and his team were a big part of having my bike humming for the ride, and Ben is such an approachable guy and is just so genuine in getting it right for you. Add in the fact I was lucky enough to be riding on a set of Terenzo Bozzone’s old 1080 Zipps from Rouleur cycles Race wheel hire, lead to an enjoyable day on the bike.

Personally IRONMAN for me is all about the journey, if you’re lucky enough to be on the start line, you would of done all the hard work, and I like to keep myself calm by thinking IRONMAN is all about doing the victory lap and enjoying the moment. I think it’s essential to get a coach involved, it takes the pressure and thinking out of what am I doing next, in terms of training, I know there are a lot of options out there, and I’m sure they all do a wonderful Job, but for the last two years I’ve been lucky enough to have Sue Brewster from CTC under The Network umbrella as my coach, one amazing Lady.

One month out from IRONMAN I picked up a Sciatic Nerve injury which really effected my position on the bike especially down on the aero bars, I was having physio 3 times a week as well as acupuncture and sessions at the chiropractor. I started having doubts about making the start line, but along with Sue reassuring me, a big part of me regathering my confidence was Verna’s blog on the IRONMAN NZ website describing her late husbands (Tony Jackson), and his incredible story battling cancer and in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, doing IRONMAN after been given only 12 weeks to live, and then going on and completing another 5, it’s the stuff of legends and made me feel, I had nothing to moan about, so I drew on Tony’s courage and sucked it up and did it. The story is an incredible account of “Nothing is impossible…to the willing mind”.

For me the real story is a story of LOVE….the way Verna TAUTOKO (supported) her man through that initial IRONMAN after his diagnosis is something that makes the hair on my arms stand when I think about it, and I count myself blessed and fortunate to call her a friend. This is why I popped in the evening before IRONMAN to visit this incredible lady and draw on her strength, meeting Verna in person and listening to her speak is definitely one of the highlights for me for IRONMAN NZ 2018.